Optimizing system memory usage

ABSTRACT

A computer determines whether a page boundary of a page has been crossed by a function. Based on the computer determining that the page boundary has been crossed by the function, the computer generates a hardware exception. The computer resets one or more of a change bit and a reference bit for the page.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to system memory, and more particularly tooptimizing the usage of system memory.

BACKGROUND

In today's day and age, the utilization of system memory is of theupmost importance. Efficiently utilizing system memory allows a user orcompany to get the most out of their system without suffering from lagor application errors due to excessive memory use. Furthermore,determining memory to reallocate and then subsequently reallocating thememory is a typical way in which a computing system frees up memory sothat currently running applications can benefit from greateravailability.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a method, system, and computer programproduct for optimizing the usage of system memory. A computer determineswhether a page boundary of a page has been crossed by a function. Basedon the computer determining that the page boundary has been crossed bythe function, the computer generates a hardware exception. The computerresets one or more of a change bit and a reference bit for the page.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a memory usage system, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operations of the processor ofFIG. 1 in optimizing the usage of system memory by reducing swap-in andswap-out time of unused stack pages, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting the hardware components of thememory usage system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detailwith reference to the accompanying Figures.

FIG. 1 illustrates memory usage system 100, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. In an exemplary embodiment, memory usagesystem 100 includes computing device 110.

Computing device 110 includes processor 112 and LRU (least recentlyused) Daemon 116. Computing device 110 may be a desktop computer, anotebook, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a handheld device, asmart-phone, a thin client, or any other electronic device or computingsystem capable of receiving and sending data to and from other computingdevices via a network. Although not shown, optionally, computing device110 can comprise a cluster of web devices executing the same software tocollectively process requests. Computing device 110 is described in moredetail with reference to FIG. 3.

LRU Daemon 116 is a software application capable of determining thepages within system memory that are the “least recently used”. In theexample embodiment, LRU Daemon 116 checks the reference bit and thechange bit associated with each page in order to determine if the pagehas been referenced or has been changed. Typically, if LRU Daemon 116determines that the change bit or reference bit has been set (the pagehas been changed or referenced), LRU Daemon 116 identifies that the pagemust be swapped-out by processor 112 into the swap space of systemmemory because the operating system does not want to lose the changesthat were made to the page. Once processor 112 has re-allocated the pageto be utilized by a function, the page must then be swapped back in.

In the example embodiment, processor 112 includes exception handler 114.Processor 112 is hardware capable of executing instructions of aprogram/application on computing device 110. Furthermore, in the exampleembodiment, processor 112 is capable of determining whether a pageboundary has been crossed during the execution of a function, and basedon the determination generating a hardware exception, and transferringcontrol to exception handler 114. In the example embodiment, exceptionhandler 114 is hardware (part of processor 112) capable of resetting thereference and change bits for a page based on control being transferredover by processor 112. In another embodiment, exception handler 114 mayalso be firmware or a software application. The operations and functionsof processor 112 and exception handler 114 are described in more detailwith reference to FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operations of processor 112 indetermining whether a page boundary has been crossed during theexecution of a function, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. In the example embodiment, a page within physical memory areassociated with a change bit and a reference bit. If LRU Daemon 116determines that the change bit for a page has been set (has a value of1), the LRU Daemon 116 identifies that the associated page has beenrecently changed (for example, the page has been written to). If LRUDaemon 116 determines that the reference bit for a page has been set(has a value of 1), the LRU Daemon 116 identifies that the associatedpage has been recently referenced. In the example embodiment, LRU Daemon116 may check a page every few seconds to determine whether either ofthe associated bits have been set.

In the example embodiment, processor 112 determines whether a functionbeing executed on computing device 110 has crossed a page boundary(decision 202). In the example embodiment, processor 112 determineswhether a function has crossed a page boundary by determining whetherthe function is executing an instruction that involves referencing orwriting to a page that is different from the page referenced or writtento by the previous instruction. For example, if an instruction(associated with a function) is executed by processor 112 and entailsreferencing a first page while the next instruction (for the function)entails referencing a second page, processor 112 determines that thefunction has crossed a page boundary. If processor 112 determines that afunction has not crossed a page boundary (decision 202, “NO” branch),processor 112 continues to monitor for any function on computing device110 that has crossed a page boundary.

If processor 112 determines that a function has crossed a page boundary(decision 202, “YES” branch), processor 112 generates a hardwareexception (step 204). In the example embodiment, the generation of thehardware exception by processor 112 transfers control of execution ofthe function to exception handler 114. In the example embodiment,exception handler 114 is a hardware component that is part of processor112, however, in other embodiments, exception handler 114 may befirmware or a software application.

In the example embodiment, once processor 112 transfers control ofexecution of the function to exception handler 114, exception handler114 resets the reference and change bit for the page whose boundary wascrossed (step 206). For example, referring to the example above, ifprocessor 112 determines that an instruction (for the function) entailsreferencing a first page while the next instruction (for the function)entails referencing a second page, processor 112 determines that thefunction has crossed the page boundary of the first page and has movedinto the second page. Therefore, after the hardware exception isgenerated and control is transferred by processor 112 to exceptionhandler 114, exception handler 114 resets the change bit and referencebit associated with the first page. By doing so, when LRU Daemon 116performs checks to determine whether the change bit and/or reference bithas been set, LRU Daemon 116 does not determine that the change bitand/or reference bit associated with the first page has been set.Therefore, as stated above, LRU Daemon 116 does not identify the page asneeding to be swapped-out to the swap space (and then subsequentlyswapped-in) at a later time, reducing swap-in and swap-out time andresulting in more efficient utilization of system memory.

In one embodiment, the method may be utilized solely with singletonpages, such as stack pages, due to stack pages being private to afunction. Typically, even if there are 100 instances of a functionrunning on a system, each function will have its own stack page.

The foregoing description of various embodiments of the presentinvention has been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit theinvention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations are possible. Such modifications and variations that may beapparent to a person skilled in the art of the invention are intended tobe included within the scope of the invention as defined by theaccompanying claims.

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of components of computing device 110 ofmemory usage system 100 of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. It should be appreciated that FIG. 3 providesonly an illustration of one implementation and does not imply anylimitations with regard to the environments in which differentembodiments may be implemented. Many modifications to the depictedenvironment may be made.

Computing device 110 may include one or more processors 302, one or morecomputer-readable RAMs 304, one or more computer-readable ROMs 306, oneor more computer readable storage media 308, device drivers 312,read/write drive or interface 314, network adapter or interface 316, allinterconnected over a communications fabric 318. Communications fabric318 may be implemented with any architecture designed for passing dataand/or control information between processors (such as microprocessors,communications and network processors, etc.), system memory, peripheraldevices, and any other hardware components within a system.

One or more operating systems 310, and one or more application programs311, for example, LRU Daemon 116, are stored on one or more of thecomputer readable storage media 308 for execution by one or more of theprocessors 302 via one or more of the respective RAMs 304 (whichtypically include cache memory). In the illustrated embodiment, each ofthe computer readable storage media 308 may be a magnetic disk storagedevice of an internal hard drive, CD-ROM, DVD, memory stick, magnetictape, magnetic disk, optical disk, a semiconductor storage device suchas RAM, ROM, EPROM, flash memory or any other computer-readable tangiblestorage device that can store a computer program and digitalinformation.

Computing device 110 may also include a R/W drive or interface 314 toread from and write to one or more portable computer readable storagemedia 326. Application programs 311 on computing device 110 may bestored on one or more of the portable computer readable storage media326, read via the respective R/W drive or interface 314 and loaded intothe respective computer readable storage media 308.

Computing device 110 may also include a network adapter or interface316, such as a TCP/IP adapter card or wireless communication adapter(such as a 4G wireless communication adapter using OFDMA technology).Application programs 311 on computing device 110 may be downloaded tothe computing device from an external computer or external storagedevice via a network (for example, the Internet, a local area network orother wide area network or wireless network) and network adapter orinterface 316. From the network adapter or interface 316, the programsmay be loaded onto computer readable storage media 308. The network maycomprise copper wires, optical fibers, wireless transmission, routers,firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers.

Computing device 110 may also include a display screen 320, a keyboardor keypad 322, and a computer mouse or touchpad 324. Device drivers 312interface to display screen 320 for imaging, to keyboard or keypad 322,to computer mouse or touchpad 324, and/or to display screen 320 forpressure sensing of alphanumeric character entry and user selections.The device drivers 312, R/W drive or interface 314 and network adapteror interface 316 may comprise hardware and software (stored on computerreadable storage media 308 and/or ROM 306).

The programs described herein are identified based upon the applicationfor which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of theinvention. However, it should be appreciated that any particular programnomenclature herein is used merely for convenience, and thus theinvention should not be limited to use solely in any specificapplication identified and/or implied by such nomenclature. The presentinvention may be a system, a method, and/or a computer program product.The computer program product may include a computer readable storagemedium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereonfor causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge devices. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or device. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles ofthe embodiment, the practical application or technical improvement overtechnologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinaryskill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for optimizing usage of system memory,comprising the steps of: a computer determining whether a page boundaryof a page has been crossed by a function; based on the computerdetermining that the page boundary has been crossed by the function, thecomputer generating a hardware exception; and based on the computergenerating the hardware exception, the computer resetting one or more ofa change bit and a reference bit for the page.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein determining whether a page boundary of a page has been crossedby a function further comprises determining whether the function isexecuting an instruction that involves at least one of referencing andwriting, to another page.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the page andthe another page are singleton pages.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining whether a page boundary of a page has been crossed by afunction further comprises determining whether at least one of areference bit and a change bit associated with another page has beenset.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer generating ahardware exception further comprises the computer transferring controlof execution to an exception handler.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: based on the computer determining that the page boundary hasnot been crossed by the function, the computer monitoring execution ofthe function.
 7. A computer program product for optimizing usage ofsystem memory, the computer program product comprising: one or morecomputer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on atleast one of the one or more computer-readable storage devices, theprogram instructions comprising: program instructions to determinewhether a page boundary of a page has been crossed by a function; basedon determining that the page boundary has been crossed by the function,program instructions to generate a hardware exception; and based ongenerating the hardware exception, program instructions to reset one ormore of a change bit and a reference bit for the page.
 8. The computerprogram product of claim 7, wherein the program instructions todetermine whether a page boundary of a page has been crossed by afunction further comprises program instructions to determine whether thefunction is executing an instruction that involves at least one ofreferencing and writing, to another page.
 9. The computer programproduct of claim 8, wherein the page and the another page are singletonpages.
 10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the programinstructions to determine whether a page boundary of a page has beencrossed by a function further comprises the program instructions todetermine whether at least one of a reference bit and a change bitassociated with another page has been set.
 11. The computer programproduct of claim 7, wherein the program instructions to generate ahardware exception further comprises program instructions to transfercontrol of execution to an exception handler.
 12. The computer programproduct of claim 7, further comprising: based on determining that thepage boundary has not been crossed by the function, program instructionsto monitor execution of the function.
 13. A computer system foroptimizing usage of system memory, the computer system comprising: oneor more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or morecomputer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructionsstored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangiblestorage devices for execution by at least one of the one or moreprocessors via at least one of the one or more memories, the programinstructions comprising: program instructions to determine whether apage boundary of a page has been crossed by a function; based ondetermining that the page boundary has been crossed by the function,program instructions to generate a hardware exception; and based ongenerating the hardware exception, program instructions to reset one ormore of a change bit and a reference bit for the page.
 14. The computersystem of claim 13, wherein the program instructions to determinewhether a page boundary of a page has been crossed by a function furthercomprises program instructions to determine whether the function isexecuting an instruction that involves at least one of referencing andwriting, to another page.
 15. The computer system of claim 14, whereinthe page and the another page are singleton pages.
 16. The computersystem of claim 13, wherein the program instructions to determinewhether a page boundary of a page has been crossed by a function furthercomprises the program instructions to determine whether at least one ofa reference bit and a change bit associated with another page has beenset.
 17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the programinstructions to generate a hardware exception further comprises programinstructions to transfer control of execution to an exception handler.18. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising: based ondetermining that the page boundary has not been crossed by the function,program instructions to monitor execution of the function.